ComicMix Radio: Keith Giffen Is A Free Man!

The grind of weekly comics is tough on fans, so imagine the guy who has just finished off TWO weekly series! Fresh over Countdown (and still reeling from 52), Keith Giffen vents and talk about returning to fun stories again in this clip from an interview that will be on the site in full next week, plus:

— Buck Rogers – and Alex Ross! — Got a late comic? Just make it fatter! — You should be crazy to work in comics – so let’s welcome Britney Spears… — There was a trick answer to our last trivia question, but we had a winner. Here’s a new one and another chance to grab an exclusive Graham Crackers Comics variant by e-mailing us at: podcast [at] comicmix.com Yes, we said Britney – Just Press The Button: And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via or RSS!

Transcript

Broadcast 175. ComicMix.com ComicMix Radio! You know, a lot of us buy comics every week, but how would you feel about having to create one every week? Hi, it's Mike Raub on ComicMix Radio, you know, doing 104 issues week after week of

a weekly comic can be a creative drain on anybody. And now that Countdown is finally coming to an end, what damages have the creators felt? We talked to one of the more shell-shocked guys coming up in just a couple of minutes on March 13th. 2008.

ComicMix News. As far as comic characters goes, he's even older than Superman, but his name has always meant, well, the future. It's Buck Rogers who's been around 80 years and now is coming back to a brand new series from Dynamite Entertainment.

According to sources at Dynamite, they're getting some of their top guns involved with the new launch of a Buck Rogers series. That includes both Alex Ross and John Cassidy from the Lone Ranger series. Look for more news about their plans for Buck Rogers coming along in the early summer and some great promotional art more than likely out just in time for the San Diego Comic-Con.

DC has announced a couple of changes on a couple of books you may be adding to your list soon. On to Salvation Run number seven, that's the finale to that series. It's now going to be 40 pages and a cover price of 350 with a variant cover as well that's available.

In some stores only, you better check with your retailer to make sure they're going to have enough of that one for you if you want the variant. And Trials of Shazam, talk about Trials, has taken about a century to get these 12 issues into our hands. And the page count on number 12 has been increased to 40 pages with a price again of 350.

Right now Trials of Shazam number 12 is scheduled to be in stores on April 2nd. I will believe that when I have it in my hands. Jet X, the action block on Toon Disney late in each day is now going to celebrate Earth Day on the 22nd of April with the debut of the Envirolympics. It's a series of public service announcements that challenge kids to be eco-conscious.

Now they're going to start airing on Sundays in April starting on the 6th of April beginning between 6 and 9 p.m. And of course these will be animated as well done in the Jet X style. Get more information or get a sneak peek of the announcements at JetX.tv slash green. Another sellout for the 12 from Marvel and again I tell you I am enjoying this series

a lot as obviously a lot of people are. The 12 number 3 is sold out, there's a second printing variant on the way with of course a different cover that will be in stores the second week of April from Marvel. It's been a while. They say it helps to be crazy to work in comics and that brings us to Britney Spears.

According to Reuters, Britney's a new video for her Break The Ice single is going to debut on a dedicated website next week and it features Britney in an animated superhero form in a futuristic world. Over the weekend on the broadcast blog we'll give you the direct link to that just in case you want it.

By the way Britney's also making another comeback, she appears on How I Met Your Mother when it returns to CBS in a couple of weeks. Hi I'm Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and you're listening to ComicMix. ComicMix Radio. Weekly comics.

A lot of us will love them but you know there's pressure to make sure you don't miss an issue and then I gotta tell you if you miss reading one they pile up quick. So imagine what it's like to be the creative glue behind one or even two of these projects. That's the bill that fits Keith Giffen who's been at the center of both 52 and Countdown at DC and Keith is glad to say that one of those at least is finally ending.

I popped into the final issue, issue number one and now I can just wander off and put weekly comics behind me for a while. 100 and a half of them, come on. Now that the monkey is off his back, Keith has found a whole new creative enemy. When I had that last issue at Countdown, the next day it was like, wait a minute, I'd

have to do it no more, the pressure's off and go back to my regular books, I can get my regular work load going which is, it's kinda nice. In a weird way, just like an abscess tooth, you kinda miss it. It's not there but you're kinda grateful it's gone. Despite the fact that both series were weekly, 52 and Countdown were both approached as two

distinctly different projects. It's a whole different animal, we're really unfair to draw any kinds of comparisons between 52 and Countdown because the tone was different, the entire approach was different. I guess just to degrees of satisfaction, the first time you do it, that first year, especially when it unfolds in real time, it's an accomplishment, you know, you did it and the second time you're

kinda expected to do it because you did it before, it's almost like a sequel to a movie, you know, it's satisfying, it's not gonna be satisfying, it's the first time you saw it, you know. In a few days, you'll be able to read a full interview with Keith here at ComicMigs.com that contains a lot of little spoiler information about how Countdown comes to an end and what

takes place next. Look for it right here at ComicMigs.com. Break up the boredom on the middle of the week by handing out another limited edition near-mid copy of a Graham Cracker's comics variant issue, this could include stuff like Well, Captain America, we've got Transformers, GI Joe, Masters of the Universe, Doctor Who,

and these are special editions, very limited print runs with exclusive covers, only available through Graham Crackers with nine source in the Chicagoland area and easily reachable wherever you are at GrahamCrackers.com. Alright, the rules are simple, we need you to get us your answer for every trivia question we name by the deadline that we set in the broadcast.

You choose one winner drawn randomly from all the correct emails we receive and duplicate emails do not count. Let's get another winner. Our question was, with so many indie-based comics going up to the big screen, can you name but one property so far that has made the most box office money?

It was almost a trick question because basically there are two answers, two movies that have gone neck and neck back and forth lately to hold the title. One was 300, the other, Hellboy the first movie. And William Curley got it right because he picks 300, we chose his email and he's the winner of a Graham Crackers comics limited edition.

Got another chance to win right now, here's the question. Weekly comics have been tried a number of times but what major DC title went weekly for less than a year back in the late 80s? Get us the answer to us right now at podcastatcomicmigs.com. We need your answer in our hands no later than Saturday the 15th, couple of days from

right now at 9am Eastern Standard Time. Once again the answer, get it to us, podcastatcomicmigs.com. Type carefully and good luck. ComicMix, Liam. ComicMix timeline.

March 13th. 1972. Next week on the grocery store, Spinner Rag, DC was still in their spooky phase with Forbidden Tales of the Dark Mansion number 5, which had changed his name from The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love a couple of months earlier, don't even ask.

There was Ghost number 5 as well as Jimmy Olsen number 149 trying to survive without Jack Kirby. There was Justice League number 98, The Son of Tomahawk number 140, lots of reprints of Space Stuff in Strange Adventures number 236, and for 50 cents we got 100 pages of Super Boy number 185.

For Marvel there was Hulk number 152 as the Hulk was judged by the entire Marvel universe. We got Iron Man number 47, the first issue of Luke Cage, he wrote for hire, as well as Werewolf by Night in Marvel Spotlight number 4, and lots of reprints in Marvel Triple Action number 3. Over in Charlton they gave us the 50th issue of The Phantom.

1972. In the news, Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie were both confident they could beat Alabama Governor George Wallace in this week's Florida presidential primary. Meanwhile, President Nixon spent the weekend preparing a position favor on school bus integration and in a much applauded move, Britain and China agreed to exchange ambassadors.

In the movies, Redford and Siegel were in the hot rock, we got the music of Fiddler on the Roof, the Guns of Dirty Harry, and the introspection of The Last Picture show. On TV tonight, episodes of Laugh In, there was a Bob Hope special, an episode of Doris Day, and even a Johnny Carson special, called The Sun, City Scandal 72. And of course, another Monday night episode of Here's Lucy.

Sorry, Lucy, oh boy. Ah yes, 110 years old and still climbing on stuff, that's Lucy. 1972. On the radio was a guy that started making hits back in the 1960s, even into the 70s. This one didn't necessarily go to the top of the charts, but if you listen close you

hear the guitar of Dwayne Eddy and the melody of the Beach Boys. All together behind PJ Thomas and rock and roll La La Vi. She was just 16 and all alone when I came to be. So we grew up together, my mama child and me. Now things were bad and she was scared, but whenever I would cry, she'd calm my fears

and dry my tears with a rock and roll La La Vi. ComicMix.com Alright, I said it before, it is the best superhero movie I have seen in a long time. And on Saturday we're proud to be joined with a man who made it work. Darwyn Cooke from New Frontier joins us here and we talk about his run on the spirit and

how he feels being away from that book as well. Don't miss it, grab it right now on iTunes and don't forget you can become another Graham Crackers comics winner too. That is your trivia question and answer right now on podcast at ComicMix.com. Lots of free comics of course through the end of the week here including some Tim Truman

Grimjack and a lot more on his site, some great news and interviews too, always on ComicMix.com. Check that out and we'll see you in a couple of days. Bye. ComicMix.com ComicMix Radio. ComicMix.com